Kansas Senate Bill SB324

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/14/26
• Refer: 1/15/26
• Report Pass: 2/3/26
• Refer: 2/16/26
• Refer: 2/19/26
• Refer: 2/24/26

Caption

Prohibiting the use of a mobile telephone while operating a motor vehicle in school or construction zones and providing penalties for violations thereof.

Summary

SB 324 creates a new traffic offense in Kansas that prohibits a person from using a mobile telephone while operating a motor vehicle in a school zone during times when a reduced speed limit is in effect, or in a road construction zone while workers are present. The bill includes exceptions for law enforcement and emergency personnel, for drivers whose vehicles are safely stopped, and for use of a hands-free device. It also allows mobile phone use in limited emergency situations, such as reporting illegal activity, preventing injury, summoning emergency assistance, or communicating with a dispatcher in certain transit or for-hire vehicles. The bill further provides that holding a mobile telephone while driving in one of these zones is prima facie evidence of a violation. It defines “hands-free device” and excludes certain devices from the definition of “mobile telephone,” including two-way radios, emergency communication devices, prescribed medical devices, amateur or ham radio devices, and remote diagnostics systems. The warning-citation provision requires law enforcement to issue warnings rather than immediate penalties for violations, and that warning-only period expires on July 1, 2027.

Impact

SB 324 amends Kansas traffic law by adding a new mobile-telephone restriction to the uniform act regulating traffic on highways and by updating the traffic infraction fine schedule in K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 8-2118 to include “unlawful use of mobile telephone” with a $60 fine. The bill also repeals and replaces the existing version of that statute, while leaving the broader statewide traffic fine schedule and related school-zone and road-construction-zone penalty provisions in place. Its practical effect is to expand distracted-driving enforcement in sensitive areas where children or road workers are present, while initially limiting enforcement to warnings through July 1, 2027.

Sentiment

The available context shows no recorded committee transcript or vote history, so there is no direct evidence of organized support or opposition in the materials provided. Based on the bill’s structure and caption, the measure appears to be a public-safety bill aimed at reducing distracted driving in school and construction zones, which typically draws favorable sentiment from safety advocates and transportation officials. The warning-only period suggests an effort to ease implementation and public acceptance.

Contention

The main policy issue is the scope of the mobile-phone ban and how it will be enforced. Potential points of contention include whether the restriction should apply only in school and construction zones rather than more broadly, whether the hands-free exception is sufficient, and whether holding a phone should create prima facie evidence of a violation. Another likely issue is the temporary warning-citation approach, which may be viewed by some as too lenient and by others as a reasonable transition period before full enforcement. No specific opposing or supporting groups are identified in the provided record.